During the past two months we’ve had two significant and unexpected outflows of cash. These experiences have reaffirmed many things for me. First, a rainy day savings account is inestimably valuable and comforting. Second, initial bids from contractors and laborers are always high; don’t get suckered in. When it comes to negotiating with [...]

If you have read my bio you know that I do several things for my clients. I help them with financial planning, investing, insurance and taxes. All of these things can have a lasting effect on their future as well as on the things and the people that they will eventually leave behind. So, when [...]

Today is Porter’s 4th Birthday. For two years he’s asked me why I have to go to work. For two years I’ve told him the same thing:
To earn money, so we can buy food and have a place to live.
When he was really little he actually started to leave money out of the picture. [...]

Emily’s article on Frugal Summer Fun was included in this week’s Festival of Frugality, and my focus on the Means side of Living Within Your Means was included in this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance.

I have heard a lot of frenzied comments and illogical notions regarding home equity lines of credit in the last two weeks. The news media have been reporting, correctly, that many banks are beginning to freeze equity lines and not allow people to take out any more credit. Along with that, many are suggesting that [...]

Your mileage may vary.
I was trained in accounting and, though I don’t do much accounting these days (I can still hold my own with some pretty sweet tax strategy), all of the ideas are still very much a part of me: double-entry bookkeeping, accruals, deferred revenue…blah blah blah.
One takeaway I got from some 150 credit [...]

Real Estate can be an important and often successful part of a wealth-building strategy. For this reason, many people buy investment property. However, a major barrier to entering the Real Estate market for many people is a lack of money available for a down payment. Even those who have done a great job saving for [...]

I’m new to the blog, but not new to YNAB. I’m proud to be the lead programmer behind YNAB Pro.
But let me start at the beginning. A couple of years ago, I was looking for a better budget program, and when I found YNAB I knew I’d found a good thing. Jesse [...]

We are about a year and a half removed from our first home buying experience. Reflecting on the purchasing process through the clarity of hindsight, I’ve compiled a bit of amassed wisdom I’d share with other first-time buyers:
Slow Down. There will always be great houses, with great yards, in great neighborhoods on the market. And [...]

Occasionally someone will need some extra attention in getting started with the YNAB system and we’ll work with them through either YNAB Coaching, the forums, or sometimes just with a few quick emails.
90% of the time the ranting is something like:

“You need to stop spending.
Be smarter about your spending.
Your spending is out of control.
You’re hemorrhaging [...]